In Her Body
by KatLeePT
Summary: Callisto's taken Xena's body again. Female/female romance.


She stares at her in disbelief, feeling her world crumpling apart once again. "Xena," she breathes shakily, "how . . . How could you?"

"It's not like I knew what she was up to, Gabrielle! Do you think I _wanted_ to be trapped in this body again?"

"No," Gabrielle answers quickly, but Xena can see the hesitation in her partner's green eyes. She knows Gabby's feelings have a great deal more to do with what the person who belongs in her current body did to her in the past rather than anything that's actually happening now. "Gabrielle," she speaks, reaching for her.

She's seen the same look that flashes through Gabby's eyes in the eyes of a frightened doe right before she was killed. Her hand drops to her side, and she knows she must look hurt because Gabrielle instantly starts apologizing. "I'm sorry, Xena. It's just . . . It's so weird, seeing you in her body."

"I know," she says simply, acceptingly, and she does know. She would feel the same if it was Gabrielle in Callisto's body, or Ares', or Draco's, or any of her long, long list of enemies. Still, it hurts to see the woman she loves watching her warily through eyes filled with sorrow, pain, and distrust.

"Let's just try to get some sleep," she speaks at last, "and tomorrow, first thing, I promise you, I will find Callisto and beat her senseless until she reverses this."

Gabrielle nods slowly. She can still see the hurt in her lover's eyes as the Warrior Princess turns away, walks to the far side of the cave, and lays down. She doesn't invite her to join her, as she always does, and Gabrielle knows why. Fury radiates in her not just because of everything Callisto has already done to and taken from her, but also because she's messing with their lives _again_. They were so close to being truly happy this time, and as always, that sick bitch found a way to take it from them again.

Gabrielle watches Xena trying to sleep on the rocky ground, trying to pretend she's already asleep and not still hurting from Gabrielle's rejection. She watches her, knows she's in pain, and finally squares her shoulders. Gathering her courage as she learned to do both from living with the Amazons after the first time Callisto hurt her and from living with Xena herself, Gabby speaks, "Come to bed, Xena."

Xena opens the eyes that are supposed to be hers but still look so much like Callisto's because, in truth, even though it is Xena looking through them, the eyes themselves are still Callisto's. Gabrielle lays back down on the mat Xena had made for her earlier, when they had first taken shelter from the storm. They had been sleeping together on it when Gabby had awakened to Callisto's back snuggling against her front and screamed. They should have both known the snake hadn't changed her scales, despite asking for their help two days before.

Xena hesitates. Gabrielle knows she wants to be with her, but she doesn't want to her to have to face her in her current state. "I'm fine."

"Come over here," Gabby returns determinedly, "or I'm going over there." She shrugs as though she doesn't care. "At least here is more comfortable. Thank you again for making this thing. What did you say you made it out of?"

"Grass and twigs and leaves . . . " Xena's voice trails off. Their eyes have met, and the look in Gabrielle's green orbs is causing her to remember how they first came together on that little mat. She loves loving Gabrielle almost as much as she loves her actual woman, but she can't touch her, not like this, not in this body. She saw the way she recoiled from her.

"Xena," Gabrielle repeats, using the same tone of voice and pout that always eventually gets the warrioress to do what she wants, "please come here."

So she does. Aware that every step she takes is with feet that are not her own, aware that every swap of her body moves hips and legs that belong to the woman who's almost killed them both so many times they all lost count long ago, aware that everything Gabrielle can see of her now is only a murderer, she moves toward the woman she loves. As she walks, Gabrielle keeps her eyes focused on hers or, rather, Callisto's. Still, deep within those eyes, Gabby sees the truth. Where Callisto's eyes are filled with hatred and the need for revenge, Xena's eyes are softly pleading, quietly begging her to accept her still for the woman she is instead of the woman whose body her soul is being forced to wear.

"I can still see you, you know," she tells her, her lips trembling as she tries to smile. "I can see it's you in her eyes. Xena, I know you didn't ask for any of this. We never do."

"I just don't want to add to your pain, Gabrielle."

"Callisto did hurt me. She left me hurting for a very, very long time, but the worst thing she ever did to me was when I thought I'd lost you." Kneeling on the mat, she opens her arms to her, and Xena finally kneels beside her. It's Callisto's arms that Gabrielle feels sliding around her body, but she closes her eyes and reminds herself that it isn't Callisto who's touching her at all but the woman she loves.

She knows how Callisto's body is angled. She can feel her - no, she reminds herself again, _Xena's_ breath blowing gently over her neck. She can feel her breasts sliding into place against hers. She tilts her head upward and patiently opens her mouth in a silent invitation.

Xena takes it. Although she's tried in the past, she can never not love Gabrielle. Her lips touch hers. Her tongue slides into her mouth as her hands massage her lower back. As her muscles relax underneath her expertly skilled hands, Gabrielle's moan opens her mouth wider, and Xena slips Callisto's tongue deeper into her mouth.

Their bodies slide together in a ritual as old as time. Their womanhoods crave to be one together, burning inside them as their bodies rock together, tongues slipping and sliding, teeth grazing, hands caressing, breasts rubbing . . . Gabrielle's eyes flutter, but it is Xena who tenses, Xena who first knows what doing this will do to her soul mate, Xena who stops one brief moment before Gabrielle freezes.

She flushes, but there is a small grin on her still-upturned mouth. "For a moment," she breaths, "I forgot."

Xena smiles fondly down at her, her eyes shimmering with untold emotions. She caresses her blonde hair, but Gabby's fingers are shaking slightly as she strokes her long hair in turn. "Tomorrow," Xena promises, her mouth just a breath from hers. "Tomorrow, I take the bitch down. I make us turn right again, and then tomorrow night, I'm going to make up to you for all this."

"This isn't your fault, Xena."

"Then," she rectifies, smiling, "I'll make up for all the time she's stolen from us tonight." She leans forward. Gabrielle closes her eyes as Xena uses Callisto's lips to place a gentle, chaste kiss on her best friend's forehead. "But for tonight, let's rest."

Her body is far from being tired after the kisses they just shared, but Gabrielle nonetheless agrees. "Okay," she says, laying down and stretching out on her side of the mat. "But, Xena?"

"Yes, Gabrielle?"

"Will you hold me?"

"Always," she promises, laying down behind her and taking her in her arms. With her eyes closed, Gabby can easily imagine that it is truly Xena's arms, and not Callisto's, that wrap so gently and protectively around her. Her heart recognizes Xena's breath at the back of her neck, and when she closes her eyes, it is not Callisto's face she sees but Xena's, kissing her, crying out in passion, shouting her name as the ride their passion the next night and all the many more nights they have to come together and in their right bodies.

Confident Gabrielle is asleep, Xena leans forward and kisses the back of her head. She won't sleep this night. She won't sleep until she has Callisto back underneath her boots and in this body where she belongs. She won't sleep until she has her own body again, and then when she does, she knows she'll be too excited to sleep. She'd rather spend the night with her Gabrielle any time than spend it sleeping, and Xena knows she will the first night, if not many more nights too, once she has her own body back again.

The End


End file.
